Baseball game



March 22, 1932. E.v K. SMITH 1,350,778

BASEBALL GAME Filed Aug. 27, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR:

7 .H25 ATTORNEY.

March 22, 1932. E K, SMH 1,850,778

BASEBALL GAME Filed Aug. 27. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2%@ 1.7 jig-7.7 ,va

" 'jamming/1% INVENToR.'

H35 ATTORNEY.

- 'ffnnnbleshe playersV using myV improved game rear .Wall k.13 in amanner suchthat the ,base

r*nPanamainf.22,4932 'Y n* 1,1350,7`782- EDWARD x. SMITH, oF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS s i i l l BASEBALL GAME Application filed Augusta?, issn.. seriaiLN'o. 478,216.v

-Tliis invention relates to certain noveliin-y is illustrated, indica-ted at l0 kis asubstan-` provements in a baseballgame, yand has for tially rectangular base made of any suitable f its principal object the provision 4of an immaterial suoli, 'for example, as metal; vPref-f royedconstruction of this character which erably formed integrally WitliK the basewlO will be highly eiicient .in'use' and economical are Side Wall portions 11a-nd'l2 andareai' 55 c in nannfa@turn` Y n Wallfportion v13. Seciired'to thebaseflOby n Another object of the inventionis the promeans' of suitable' connectingfelements such Vision. (if-,a ynovel and entertaining game em- 21S 'SGlEWSM and l5 are legsland 17 .which Y. bodyingan improved constructionfi which are disposed below the basel 10y adjacent the f )to execute the` Various playsk of baseball lOWlien supported on any suitable flat sur- Ytheeonr Y y r. y n ,Y v face, such as a' table,y will beinclinedatan Y .s A. further objectrof the linvention is the 20m@ angle with the hOIZOl'LL ff Y `provision'of aanovel toy-baseball'ganie more he bQSO-lQQUClUdQS 2L IODJQD portiOI clos-elyapproaching the; gaine of yout door 18 .WllICh QYHHDMGS -lI1e 2111.? uptullfd IOIIU 65 n baseball than any of the gaines known here- Tyan 1,9,- Dd' by IlOChQS fOm'ed'n' .th @fore in the am v Lirent end portionsof the side Walls l1 andy Y 7 *Other objects Will appear hereinafter. 12S-M3 'llchned'nl-POYDS, '20 and 21 :bef

The .inventinconsists inthe novel combitween the uprelfendsxof Whlch extendsy the 1- '26T nation and arrangement'ot parts to rkloe heie']l Wall 22 v whch1S xl3`ef`ab1y fO'mCl inte@ 70 Y narfte. described `'andV Claime c grallyf'kwitli the side Wallsjlland l2finat 1 The invention Will ybe best understood by llplelruh that .h'YWHcYQQf LS, dented freferen'ce toy the accompanying drawings, abQVe ,tlllbase 10 POVdmg all Opening 25 showing the -preferredfformo construction @90mm l0 th'e'bae 10 by means 0 SCIGWSv ik.k y Y Y Y ,Q A 2i orjlthe like and extending angularlyin-` 75', i d' v "Figf lis aplan Viet7 of aY preferred form `llll'fl l'llhe Side Wall 12S mail 25 which y ofconstruction ofthe invention; j, y v llchldesjtfot EOT/91011 2 6 and im uptufued' Figa@ is Sectional Viewv taken, Substani Hnge .24'.k Continuous withtlie yrail 25, and y Y tial-1y onine line Q Q inFjgnl; 1 extending angularly therefrom'is a rail-28 v Y v Engg3-` isy Semifinal View taken snbstan-, substantially similar in construction to the 80` tiallyonthe line 3--3 lin Eig. 1; r n rail A rail 29 is disposed parallel with Figi fisja fragmentary elevational View th@ 51de Wall? 11' md 123ml theal 29S partlyjin section depicting aunit .embodied COHJIHUQUS Wlh and 'Slmllil t0 the fail 28- insrthejnventon; l v n Y Extending .atV an'angle from. the rail 28 in 'ggf Fig. 5 isa sectionalfaview taken substan-fl the f llCCllOIl Q' lf'de Wall l2 .S 2L mil 30 85 muy Onpthe line 5 51nFigy4:.; l j *n continuousl with .which is a rail 31 that is Y Fig l6 is atop plan `VgwofCertain units 'parallel the. rail 29and these rails 30 and enbodiedn the invention; A* n n. n n 3l are @similar -in construction to' .they rails Fig- 71S nfopplan-Ve'w gf annif, depctediinentioned hereinbefore. The rails 29and Y ,Y n .f 31 extend across the front lend, portionlSloiV 9u Fgngjsn @Op lplnnyinw of n Suitable unit, the base 10,so as to'define threeareas inthe dpcld invFgpl; fy v y Y end portion 18 as indicated at 32,33 and 34.

Fi'gxkQis a top planyiew of'a unit-depicted Bylefe'lg t0 FlgS.- l and itfinay l0@` in Fig; 1; f. seen that the area 32 communicates below f Figi; l0 isr agsectional yiew taken substan- Edle Wall '22Wth H1 Wea 35 While thefareal 95v l 'tia'lly on'y the line lli-11 in Figf'.

. tiallyontheline V1O-l0 inFig.z-9k; and A 33 communicates below the Wall 22 yWithitlie Fighll i5 'n SeCtiOnaLviW taken snbstan-, area36, thek area 36 being defined bythe in-V tersectintfgA rails y2S and 30 and the Yrails 29;?.v

Referringtothedrawings.wherein-,a pi-e?. and 31..y The area`34k ,coini'nii'nicates,below i feried torni of'constriictionof my invention the Wall 227 .with anjarea 37. Secured-to thel i10Qr side Wall 11 by means of rivets 38 or the like provided with a is the foot portion 39 of a shelf 40 and secured to the side wall 12rby ineans of rivets 41 or the like is the foot portion 42 of a shelf 43. Mounted in the base 10 by means of a rivet 44 or the like is a block 45 on the upper `end of which is provided a hub pin 46. Slidably mounted on the shelves and 43 and slot`47 through which the block is adapted to travel is a plate 48 at the rear end of which is provided an u`p` standing rim 49. Attached to the rim 49 in-`^ any suitable manner such as by peening, as indicated at 50, is a rod 51 which projects through an opening 52 provided in the rear wall' 13'. 'Formed in the outer end of the rod 51 a hooked portion providing a handle 54; y

' Formed inthe side walls 11 isa slot 5 anda similar slot 56 is provided in the side wall'12. Rotatably mounted on the hub pin 4,6"isa disc 57 'portions of which project thogh the slots and 56 and a similar slot in th front wall portion 22 to provide gripping sl'z'rfajees for 'reasons to be made apparent presently.`

recess58 isfprovided in the fron-t end portion of theslidable plate-48and extendlng rearwardly from the recess 58 is a recess 59. Openings. 60 and 61 are'provided in the late'48 and these openings, as best shown in ig. 7, are disposed to `the right of the slot 47 as seen from the front of the plate 48. Rearwardly vof ythe slot 47 an opening 63 is rovided in the plate 48 and forwardly an to they left of slot 47 is an opening 62. A centrally disposed opening 64v is yprovided inthe discfl and the opening is adapt-y ed to receive the hub pin 46. Arranged at substantially intervals about the opening 64 are slots 65, 66,v 67 and 68 formed in the disc 57. Providedy inthe disc 57 at substantially 90 intervals and adjacent the periphery of the dise are four groups of openings, three openings in each group, as indicated at 69, 70, 71, and 72. Spaced between the two v'groups of openings 69 and 70 is a slot T'anda similar slot 74 is provided in the disc 57 `between the groups of openings 70 and 71. kBetween the groups of openings 71 and 72 is a slot 75, similarl tothe slots 73 and 74, anda similar slot 76 is provided in the disc 57 y,between the groups of openings 69 and 7'2;V y

Disposed abovethe disc 57 and including flange ortions 77 and 78 which are secured to the slde walls 11 and 12 by means of rivets 79 and 80 is a plate 81 in which is yprovided a slot y82. The slot 82 is adapted to resemble the pathsV between the bases of a baseball" field and the slot 82 extends around'and defines the 'diamond 83; The intersections of the slot 82dei'lne vthe'bases of the diamond, home base beingindieated at 84, first base at85, second base at 86', and third base` at 87 from the purview of my invention.

while the pitchers box is indicated at 88. The pitchers box 88 is preferably laid out by light colored paint or the like provided on the plate 81, and the path 89 between the pitehers boxand home plate is likewise vpreferably indicated by light colored paint .whichy extends from first to third base.

A light colored area 94 is provided for the battersbox. A. recess 95' is provided in the plate 81, outwardly of the batters box and formed in the plate 81 at opposite* sides of the recess 95 are the openings 96 and 97. An opening 98 is provided in one corner of the plate 81 for reasons to be explained hereinaftiel". i y f i The slot k82 whichk defines the base lines, is prel'l'e'rabl-'y defined by depending flanges 99 and y100. Remov'ably supported on the plate 81 is a'transparent plate 102 which may be made of any suitable material such,ior an ample, as1celluloid. Secured to the plate 102 at the underside thereof and by any suitable means such as adhesive is the plate 83 which definesy the infield area 83?. y

A plurality of concave depressions 104y are provided in the rear portion 103 of the base from the front, and so as to be-visible through the opening 98 in the plate 81, are the letters A, B, and C whichindieate the several ositions to whichy the slidable plate 48 mayy e moved in playing my novel game as will'b'e explained hereinafter. Indicated in any suitable manner on' the plate 81 inwardly of the openings 96l and' 97 is the word Balls, as seen in Fi 1, while indicated on the plate 81 rearwar 1y of the batters box 94 isthe word Strikes.

- Includi-ng a ange portion 108 which is attached to the wall portion 22 by means ofy suitablev connecting; elements 109 is a protrudingledge 110 which projects over the lower zend yportion ofthe transparent plate 102. Provided inthe ledge 110 and in aligm'ent with thevpath 89 from the pitchers x tohome plate,1s-aU-shaped recess 111. Prc

`10and these depressions, in the present inim vided in the ledge 110 fat- .opposite sides of',

the* recesslll are similar kbut oppositelyfdirectedjrecesses 112 and'113: f

f Best mustered in Figs'. i and 5 is a novel batting device embodied in my invention and generi'callyindicated at 114.y YThedevice 114 includes a bracket 115 which'is secured4 to thev transparent platel 1O21andy to. the plate '81fbyk means ofrivets 116 or the like. Integral-with the bracket 115`is an upstanding portion 117 Y tion l120 of a handle 121.v Secured to the bearing portion V119 in any approvedmanner is vone end portionY cfa coil spring 122 and e f the other endportionfofthisespring `122 is securedv to the 'upstanding portionqll; "A

battingfarm 123 projects out lfrointhe stem 120y `and this arm 123'includes a dependingl portionf124.V f n Y.

Myimproved game is preferably 'played'by and between two players using smallballs, inkdicatedv at 125 made of steel'or V'other suitable material.' Inscommencing play-fthe sliding plate 48 is movedv by grasping thel handle 54 until the Yletter "C'- appears* through the opening 98.] The. player whois to pitchl first then takes aball` and, holding -`the ball' onthe transparentplate 102"so that the ball isV above the pitchers `vbox 88,relea'ses the ball,letting the ball run ydownpla`te'102 over theQpath-89al in an attempt to-causethe ballv to enterfthe:

n, vrecesslllA thereby to count a. strikeagainst the kbatter who, meantime, grasps the handle r121 and .turns the arm 123 until it is disposed ein in the position shown in dotted line in Fig. r1.

The batter then releases fthebattingj arm 123v andV thefspring 122'rotates the arm123 whichA rotates toward the ball approaching from the pitchers'box. In the event Ythe lbatting v 123 fails to strike theoncoming ball and the ball'enters the Yrecess 111 a strike is .counted against Vthe batter whileif thebatter decides not to strike at the ball pitched.V and the-balli rolls into either of therecesses 112 or 113V a ball is counted. Pitchingis continued,

but not driven into the area 103 a foul strike fig counted against the` batter. Ifthepitched balls yenter the recesses 111, 112, and'113, and thereby count as strikes or ball's they fallk reither into the recess which is aligned with' the vrecess 111, or into the opening 97 which is aligned'with the recess 112, or intothe open.V .ing96 which is aligned with therecess 113 andthe disc 57 is then rotateduntil one of the groups of `openings 69,70, 71, or 72com'es into f alignment with .these openings 965and '97 and kthe-recess 95 which causes the balls to Afalltherethrough into the area 36 .from which men are out.

the balls'rollintoithe area 33 wheretheyla're retained `bythe wall 19. 'The pitched rrballs i narerfinthis manner-returnedto-the front end portion 18 of the basel 10'and they may then y be' pickedup and used again,1it beingunder stood that, asin baseball, any number of'balls needed may, be used. In oase two or r'more ballaV are accumulatedsin one for 4both ofthe openings 96 and 97 or in therecess 95, rota tion ofthe disc 57" will cause one'of the slots 3 73,741,715' or 7 6 to be alignedthereunder and y the balls thusaccumulated will fall' therethrough and be returned to the area 33 in .the f, manner vdescribed above. Y

Assuming kknow that the sliding: plate r 48 lis disposed;l so that the letter C thereon is visible through the opening 98 fand that the batter` hashit the ball 125 before havingbeen counted out, as strikes and Vballs are l countedV on a'batter vin baseball, it kwill .be

further assumed that the batter has hit 'a faire bau into the areaioa If thefair ballihit into the area 103 enters none Vof the depressions 104 but, rollsback over ythe base 10 through the area 37 and into the area34,f. the batterie countedy out as indicated" 011y In the event, however, Vvthat the batter, hits the ball( 125 into thearea 103 and the' ball comes to rest ino'ne- .ofl thethree rows ot dethat portion of the base y10- defining the areav pressions 104, hereinafter to becalledfcups, f

the play is continued as ollowsz'It'willV be assumed,"-forl illustration, that thev batters ball has come to rest in one of the cups marked tien-17.V yThe batter then moves the slidable plate 48 untillthe letter FA appears through the opening 98,'the plate 48 beingmoved into the A positionwhenever the batters ball Y comes tol rest in anyone of theAcups.`

Similarly, if the-battersball comes tol rest in one of the B cups the plateY 48 lis moved into B position, while'if Ethe batted `ball comes to rest in a C cup'the battermoves the plate 48 into CU position. j

" Assuming now, however, that the batters ball has comete rest in an Af-l cup. rAfter' t 102., and thedisc 57' is then rrota-tedl'untilj having moved theplate 48 into A position, the batter then takes the ball out of the A"-1 therefore, until the batterV hitsy a 4ball and drives the same overintothe areaf103. A r case the ball is struck'by the batting arm 123 one of the four slots 65, 66,67 or 68k comesV `into kalignment with 'the opening126, yor ythe opening 126 and one of the four slots 65, 66,

67 and 68emayvbe alignedprevious `to drop ping th-e ball vthrough the opening ,126.2 The l batter then proceeds to bat'again untilfthreeV into the area 103 and it comes to rest in an If the batter vdrives a ball into an cup,"a threefbase hit; it into-an i k--t' cup, a 'fourf' base hit. VAssuming lnow that 'the batter has hit a pitchedV ball 'and has madea single, that is, has drivena bottedfbillyinto an A-l cup. Hathen drops a; bull through the opening y126aimd then wealth@ i565? Se as t0 Pla@ a' man 011 15@ hase. Lfi the `batterv then makesa two base hit-he drops a ball into opening 126' yand rotates thedisc 57L S0 as tn move the. man at. rstto, third base while putting the batter an, base. .B'anifestl therefore, if the baar thenymalies a three base hit he dropsV a.

blslllhlugh the open-ing1261y and then rotates the! dise 517 untilthe twonien ony the bases m-scored, the balls being carried around y the slot 82 and-.dropped through the open-ing 62 into the area 35 from Wliichthe halls roll down the base' l0`V into the area 32. marked Rnnsthus scoring two men and leaving a i man on third base. A. batted ballcoming to in anVA--Af cup counts. as ya home run.

and ifthe batter at the time of' making siwli hit has nien on bases he drops a ball into the opening- 126 Mld then rotates they disc .'fks'coringthe men on bases and the batter likewise in the manner described above.

If the batter has a man on lirst base and hits a ballintofa B-l cup he then moves the it-.Wilil be found that the man goiiig'from first to. second will be'out at second and the batter b efout. at lirstsincethe opening 63 in the plate 48 will then be disposed below the position of slot in Fig. 7, causing the f ballatsecond base to drop through the openmgyiinto thea-rea 37' and thence down4 into 34, marked Outsb thus counting one man retired on .the batters side, while the opening 6) will then be disposed belowthe 'l iori of slot 65 iiiFig.y I causing the bat-v tei-Q fall-.thenethrough intothe area 37. andV thence to area 34 thus registering a play against the batters side. y

- If thabajtei'y hasy a man on -fijrst and a yman on second and hits into a B--1 cup the discf 57 n double isI rotated, after the plate 4S liasbeen moved' ta'B position, and it will thenl be found that a double play will be made at first and second bases, asin the manner described ab0vebut the man on second will advance safely to third. If the batter has nien on all three bases and hits into a B-l cupk it will be,I found that, after having moved the plate intoB. position, it being. understood that plateL 48 is always returned to C position for batting, there will be a double play again at first'y and second While the man on third base will advance safely to home and score and the man on second will move safely to third, I @c If tho4 batter has a man onlfirst base and hits yinto a C-,l cup he then leaves the plate @in C position and rotates the discy 57. In

*bia Case itfwil-l be found thatthe manon first f will advancesafely to second while'the bat` third.

nuevas bei rwill, be out at first, thus registeiiii?t sacrifice.y Ifthe batter has men on and second and hits into a C-l cup it will be found that tlie'runners advance to second and, third but that the batter kis out at lirs thus again registering a sacrifice while i the batter has men on first, second, and third and hits intoV a C cu it will be found that the man on; third `will e out at home while theybatter will likewise be out at lirst thus reg- From the foregoing description of my in volition it is manifest that I have provided a novel, interesting and entertaining game which more closely approaches the real game of baseball in plays and moves and general characterthan any of the so-called baseball games known heretofore in the art. Itis likewise appa-rent that; yWhile beineV simple and economical in construction and` simple and positive inL operation niyimproved game svillybe highly entertaining in usev for both children and adults. f f

While Ip'have illustratedand described the preferredform of Aconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departingl from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scopeof the appended claims. 4

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Le# ters Patent is :Y c y k1. In combination with a game apparatus includi a member defining a playing surface having ay pitchers vpositionk and a. batters position indicated thereon, said member having a path Vindicated thereon connecting said positions and having an opening therein disposed` rearwardly of said batters posi tion andin 'alignment with said path mld indieatedvon saidinernber asstrikes, Said member having other openings adjacent'said first mentioned opening and at opposite sides of said ath, said last mentioned openings being desi ons, sa' openings and having cutaway 1'-, tions providing guidewaysto receive pe lets from said pitchers position, a rotatable disc disposed below said member and having openings therein adapted for registration with said firstnamed` openings, and a structure providing receiving boxes disposed below said disc and adapted to receive pellets from said openings.y 7

. 2. A aine apparatus comprising `asti'iieture de ming a playing surface, a member `beneath said surface providing a raceway having communication with saidy surface, a

ated` as balls, a member contiguy mov movable member below said racewey having slots therein partially yregistering with the'r raceway, a second movable .member elow the first-namedl movable member having Y openings therein, and means for moving said ysecond-naimed' member whereby certain of Vsaid openings-may be disposed from or into Vregistrati'on with said slots and said raceway for the passage. therethrough of an arti.-

cle played upon said surface.

3. A gaine apparatus comprising a structure defining a playing surface having kan., opening formed therein, a memberbeneath y receive pellets from said raceway and said slots.V Y' v a 4. A game apparatus comp'risinga structure defining a playing surfe ce having a portion thereof transparent,a membery beneath said iield and having a raceway belowlsaid transparent portion, a movablev member havthereof transparenta stationary member beneath said surface providing a raceway having communication with'the playing surface,

`a rotative member belowk said stationary, l

member having slots formed therein adapted to register with the raceway and carry ay pellet from the playing surface around the raceway, a slidable' member having openings ytliereimnieans for moving said slidable member. whereby certain of said openings may be disposed from or into registration with Said slots and said raceway, and a structure ar-i ranged beneath said slidable member providing guideways Yandreceiving boxes whereby rto rreceive a said slots. y 7. In a game apparatus-,fa structure defining a playing surface, a member beneath said surfacek providing a raceway having communication lwith said surface, a movable` member having slots therein adaptedto regis-VA ter with the raceway and carry pellets from the playing surface around the raceway, a. second: movable member having openings therein, means for movingsaid second-named Amovable member whereby'certainfof said pellet from said raceway vand openings may be `disposed from or into registrationwitli said slots and said v'ra-Ceway,v

and a battingmechanism for propelling pel-A lets over 'said' playing'surface.

In testimony whereof I aifixmy signature.

e EDWARD K. SMITH;

ing slotsformed therein` partially registering with thel racevvay and lsaid slots being adapted to receive pelletsirom the raceway and movesaid pelletsfaround said rac'eway,4 a second movable member havingopenings therein, means for n moving said lastI mentionad member whereby certain Vof said openings may be disposed from or into vregistration with said slots and said raceway, and a structure arranged beneath said last-mentioned` movable member and providing,

guideways and l receiving boxes whereby` to receive said pelletsy Jr'rlomsaid raceway and said slots, said transparent portion permit-` ting the movement of the pellets about the raceway to be seen.A e p 5. In a gamefapp-aratus, a ing va playingsurface, a member beneath said structure 'deiin-V Surface providing a 'raceway,` a rotative memy berV having slotsviormed therein partially.

registeringwitli the raceway, aslidable member below said rotative member having openings therein, means forfmovingfsaid slidable member whereby certain of said' openings maybe disposedvrom or' into registration Vwith 'saidfslots and said raceway, and astruc-' ture arranged beneath saidslidable memberproviding guideways and receiving `boxes to receive pellets fromy said racewayy and said slots'.V v'- p '6: In Ya'fgaine apparatus, a structure'de-` 'ining'a playingfsurface having ya :portionr loo 

